Front Yard Design for Winter Interest part 2 of 2

Last time, I began to show how winter garden design principles could be used in an actual design.  Now we will complete that simple front yard design I started in Part 1.  Since this is a front yard design, we will use less types of plants than a backyard to keep things from becoming too busy.  After all, lots of people will be viewing this front yard design very quickly, such as when driving by in a car.

Adding evergreen shrubs to front yard design

Evergreen shrubs may be the most important element to make a design feel grounded.  We should also use a lot of them, as they are smaller than the trees; you need more of them to have as much visual impact.  We are picking a yew that has proven itself in many a front yard design.

We will place them throughout the yard to tie the front yard design together.  It also helps enclose the property.  This helps to make this area feel separate from the outside world and the traffic on the street.

Adding winter color with Red twig dogwood

Up to this point we have lots of green and white in our landscape.  We also have a red brick path.  To add some more color throughout the yard, we will add 5 Artic Fire™ Red Twig dogwoods.  This adds some color throughout the yard to tie in with the color of the brick.  Note there is one “hidden” under the middle birch tree on the final plan.

Add more winter interest close to the house

Tying our landscape design into our winter interest tips from the original post:

• Tip #2 – Put your winter garden close enough to your house to see the details of it from inside.

To add more interest near the windows, we will add a weeping Japanese maple and an evergreen hemlock shrub.

Adding finishing touches

As a last finishing touch, we will add an evergreen groundcover of Vinca minor ‘Bowles’.  We will also under plant with clumps of Daffodil bulbs.  The Vinca will add another texture and color in the winter as well as nice long lasting blue flowers in the spring.  The daffodil bulbs add additional easy care flowers in the spring.

We could add more detailing plants but for this example and because this is a front yard design, we will stop with these.

 

Perhaps the most important winter interest tip

• Tip #3 – Emphasize the areas that you walk through in the winter.

Well given this is a front yard design, this is certainly an important tip to follow.  Whether you are walking to your mailbox or to your car in the driveway, it is a great opportunity to enjoy your front yard landscape design.  In this design, your sight lines are always viewing something that is attractive in the winter season.

For instance, when you step out the front door and you see:

A red brick path,

White barked birches,

Redtwig dogwood’s blood red branches echoing the brick path,

Weeping Japanese maple’s leafless branches,

Dark green yew shrubs,

And an evergreen ground cover of Vinca minor.

 

For more interest on some of the plants used here: Madison Birch, Crimson Queen Japanese maple, and Swiss stone pine.

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